Elevated railway



Aug. 29, 1961 A. B. HAWES ELEVATED RAILWAY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1,1959 INVENTOR.

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s s y M. M m a N W Z 0 4 8 8 0/ I? w x W w 8 6 6 6 M United StatesPatent 2,997,965 ELEVATED RAILWAY Alan B. Hawes, El Segundo, Calif.(8504 Seaview Ave., Wildwood Crest, N.Y.) Filed May 1, 1959, Ser. No.810,294 2 Claims. (Cl. 104-120) This invention relates generally toelevated railways. More particularly, the invention has reference to agenerally improved structure of this type, having some of thecharacteristics and appearance of a monorail, though being moreappropriately placed in the category of multitrack rather than singletrack railways and associated vehicles, from the standpoint of themechanical construction and operation thereof.

The broad object of the present invention is to provide a generallyimproved elevated railway of the character described, including a trackstructure of an improved, simplified, strong construction, inassociation with a vehicle mounted upon said structure in such a way asto impart maximum stabilization to the vehicle, during loading andunloading of passengers, and while the vehicle is in actual motion.

. In this connection, it will be understood that the elevated railwaystructure comprising the present invention might be usable in any ofvarious locations, and might, for example, be used to advantage as anamusement device in a park, exposition, or fair grounds. Then too, theelevated railway construction may be employed advantageously is an urbanconveyance, inter-urban railway, etc.

A more particular object of the present invention is to provide animproved truck construction for an elevated railway of the characterstated, so designed as to provide maximum stability from the standpointof absorp tion and repulsion of side thrust or other pressures having alateral component.

Another object is to incorporate the means for stabilizing the vehicleagainst side thrust directly in the hanger assembly of the truck, so asto provide a compact truck construction, designed particularly for usein elevated railway structures.

A further object of importance is to provide an elevated railwayconstruction wherein the stabilizing means will include a plurality ofupper stabilizing Wheels adapted to be disposed in engagement withopposite sides of a center rail, and a plurality of lower stabilizingwheels adapted for disposition in engagement with the inner sidesurfaces of side rails, whereby on the exertion of side thrust in onedirection, the upper stabilizing wheels at one side will cooperate withthe lower stabilizing wheels at the opposite side of the center rail inrepelling and absorbing the lateral pressure. It follows that onexertion of side thrust in an opposite direction, the other upperstabilizing wheels and the other lower stabilizing wheels will nowcooperate to minimize the lateral displacement of the vehicle relativeto the trackway.

Another object of importance is to so design the stabilizing Wheels asto incorporate therein shock absorbent means, designed to absorb shocksin generally horizontal directions, whereby the stabilizing wheels arepermitted a predetermined amount of lateral displacement while absorbingshocks, to absorb a substantial amount of the later-ally exertedpressures or thrusts, during the normal operation of the stabilizingmeans in the travel of the vehicle along the elevated railway.

Yet another object of importance is to provide a compact truck assemblywherein there will be additional shock absorbent means cooperating withthose on the stabilizing wheels, and designed to absorb shocks exertedin generally vertical directions, concurrently with or inice ,dependently of the absorption of the horizontally exerted.

thrusts or pressures.

Another object of importance is to so design the lastmentioned shockabsorbent means as to provide for primary and secondary shock absorptionin vertical directions, by reason of a resiliently yielding constructionof the marginal portions of the main wheels of the vehicle, and apiuralhy of coil springs spaced about the marginal part of the truck,whereby primary absorption in a vertical direction occurs at thelocation of the main wheels of the vehicle, with further shockabsorption taking place at the location of [the several coil springs.

Still another object is to incorporate in the truck construction animproved driving arrangement for the wheels, wherein individual motorsfor the drive wheels have a, particularly efiective mounting upon. thetruck itself, in association with the mounting of the wheel, hangers,main. wheels, and stabilizing wheels.

Still another object of importance is to provide an improved trackstructure, characterized by its exceptional strength in relation to itsweight and size, as well as by its particular ability to cooperate withthe stabilizing means of the vehicle itself, in holding the vehicle ina. stable position during the relatively high speed of move.- ment ofthe vehicle along the track structure.

Still another object is to incorporate in the truck con struction meansnormally out of contact with the trackv structure, designed to limit thevehicle body against trans verse tilting beyond a predetermined angle ofinclination from the vertical.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claimsappended thereto, and from the annexed drawing in which like referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views andwherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of, an elevated railway according tothe present invention, portions being; broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the track structure perse;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view substantially on line33 of FIGURE 1, the vehicle body being illustrated fragmentarily andsomewhat diagrammatically;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view substantially online 44 of FIGURE 3, with the vehicle. body again being illustratedsomewhat diagrammatically:

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal section on the same scale as FIGURE 3, takensubstantially on line 55 of FIGURE. 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a still further enlarged transverse. sectional view on line6-6 of FIGURE 4,

Referring to the drawing in detail, generally designated at 10 is atrack structure. The track structure includes a supporting frameworkextending upwardly from the. ground surface and including a plurality ofstandards 12 having upper end portions 14 in which a torque bar 16 isembedded or otherwise fixedly secured, said torque bar extendinglongitudinally and centrally of the track structure.

In place of the sleepers that would ordinarily be provided on a railway,I provide transversely disposed cross plates 18, 20. Cross plates 18 arefixedly secured to the opposite faces of the upper end portions 14,while the;

cross plates 20 are spaced along the rail assembly, at.

several cross plates, and formed (FIGURE -6) with depending ends 24engaged in right-angular end recesses 26 of the cross plates.

7 Track structure 10 includes, in addition to the supporting framework11 described above, a rail assembly generally designated 27.

The rail assembly 27 includes a pair of side rails or tracks 28, whichin the illustrated example comprise box girders, fixedly mounted in therecesses 26 in engagement with depending ends 24 of top plates 22. Theside rails could, of course, comprise members other than box girders, itbeing mainly important that the side rails be possessed of the requisitestrength, while having flat, relatively wide top surfaces on which themain wheels of the vehicle will be rollably supported.

Rail assembly 27 also includes a stabilizing or center rail disposedmidway between the side rails, and rising to a height substantiallyabove that of the side rails. The center rail 30 in the illustratedexample is of substantially greater width than the side rails (seeFIGURE 3), and is of a cast, one-piece construction. However, it will beunderstood that as in the case of the side rails, the center rail couldbe formed in various ways. For example, in one commercial embodiment thecenter rail 30 might comprise a laminated member, which would be formedof a plurality of wood laminations, that might be covered with fiberglass or the like. Then again, the center rail could be fabricated fromsteel or aluminum.

In any event, the center rail is fixedly mounted upon the braced crossplates 18, 20, and fixedly secured to the opposite side surfaces of thecenter rail, at the top thereof, are fiat, wide, metal strips 32. Thesecan be of electrically conductive material, and in a working embodimentthe electric power required for driving the vehicle could be suppliedthrough the strips, or through one of them.

This completes the construction of the track structure, and there willnow be described a vehicle, generally designated 34. This includes abody 36, The term body is used in the broadest possible sense, referringnot only to the shell of the vehicle, but also to the frame, chassis,etc., that is, all portions of the vehicle with the exception of thetrucks to be described hereinafter.

In any event, the body 36 is formed at its underside with alongitudinally and centrally extending channel 38, midway between theopposite sides of the body, and said channel, adjacent the opposite endsthereof, is formed with downwardly opening truck-receiving recesses 40,which deepen the channel sufliciently to accommodate the trucks of thevehicle.

Within each recess 40 (see FIGURES 3 and 4) a flat, circular wear plate42 is fixedly mounted, and mounted in the recess in contact with theplate is a truck generally designated 44. V

The trucks 44 at opposite ends of the vehicle are identical, so thedescription of one will sufiice for both.

The truck is swivelled upon a vertically depending swivel pin 46 rigidwith and comprising a part of the body 36. In this connection, variousmounting arrangements may be provided, that shown being merelyillustrative and, in fact, diagrammatic to a degree in showing one typeof mounting that could be employed.

In any event, the truck includes a top plate 48, which has a centeropening receiving the pin 46, said top plate being swivelled upon thepin. Top plate .8 is formed, inwardly from its periphery, with 21depending, circular flange or skirt 50, and at the periphery of the topplate, a depending peripheral flange or lip 52 is formed.

' A main plate 54 of the truck is disposed in underlying relation to thetop plate 48, and is formed with an upwardly projecting, circular flange56 loosely telescoped within the flange 50 to permit relative verticalmovement of the plates 48, 54. V

Exteriorly of the flange 56, the mounting plate 54 is formed withupwardly opening, shallow spring seats 58, which are in confrontingrelation to and are aligned ver- "aaames I r,-

plates 48, 54 about the pin 46, relative to the fixed mounting or wearplate 42, but such travel is nevertheless essential, to permit thetraversing of curves provided in the truck structure.

Further, the truck must be permitted a certain amount of transversetilting movement relative to the body, and vice versa. Thus, the bodytilts transversely in some circumstances, during the loading orunloading of the vehicle, or while the vehicle is in motion. As aresult, the

pin 46 tends to move out of the vertical, and must have a certainfreedom of movement in a lateral direction in the opening providedtherefor within the plate 54. A spring means can surround the lower endportion of the pin 46, being interposed between the pin 46 and the plate54, to permit the side to side movement of the pin 46 as the body of thevehicle moves between vertical and tilted positions.

On opposite sides of the main plate 54, means are provided for themounting of electric motors. Referring to FIGURE 5, at each side thereis an elongated inner motor mounting plate 62, and outer motor mountingplates 64 spaced outwardly from the respective end portions of the plate62. Fixedly mounted upon and between plate 62 and each plate 64 is anelectric motor generally designated 66, and integral with each plate 62is a depending, elon-' gated stop arm 68 terminating at its lower endwith a lat erally inwardly projecting finger 70. Each arm 68 and itsassociated finger 70 are normally spaced wholly out of contact with thetrack structure, with finger 70 extending below the adjacent side rail28.

Each motor 66 includes a casing 72 (FIGURE 6) bolted or otherwisefixedly secured to the motor mounting plates '62, 64, and mounted withinthe casing 72 is a stator 74, extending about a rotor 76, rotatable witha motor shaft 78 extending laterally inwardly toward the center rail 30.Splined upon or otherwise secured to the shaft 78 for rotation therewithis a main wheel 80, having a rubber tire 82. Tire 82 comprises ashock-absorbent means ex tending circumferentially of the main wheel,and resiliently yielding in a generally vertical direction to absorbshocks occurring in said direction.

The main wheels are rollably supported upon the side rails 28, therebeing two main wheels at each side of the truck as shown in FIGURE 5.

The inner ends of the several shafts '78 are extended into rollerbearings 84, mounted in laterally outwardly opening recesses provided inelongated wheel hangers 85, each of which is formed at its opposite endswith depending extensions 86.

Each wheel hanger is disposed between the center rail 30 and theadjacent side rail 28, and extends in general parallelism with thecenter and side rails. Each wheel hanger (see FIGURE 4) is of elongatedformation, with the elongation occurring in a horizontal direction. Themain Wheels are mounted upon the opposite end of each hanger 85-, andthe depending extensions 86 (see FIGURE 4) are disposed in closeproximity to the respective main wheels.

In the opposite end portions of each hanger 85, there are mountedvertically disposed upper stabilizing wheel axles. The upper ends of thewheel axles 88 are engaged in openings provided in the main plate 54.

Shouldered spacer sleeves 90 are positioned in engagement with theunderside of the main plate 54, with the axles 88 extendingtherethrough, and abutting the lower ends of the spacer sleeves 91 areball bearings 92, through which the axles extend.

Horizontally disposed upper, inner stabilizing wheels 94 are mountedupon the respective axles 88, and are provided with rubber tires 96hearing against the respective strips 32.

Thus, the stabilizing wheels 94 are mounted for rm tation in horizontalplanes above the horizontal plane of the axles of the main wheels 80,and it will also be noted that the upper stabilizing wheels, due to theprovision of the rubber tires thereon, are provided withcircumferentially extending shock-absorbent means, adapted to absorbshocks exerted in a lateral direction, with said wheels being disposedin engagement with opposite sides of the center rail.

Due to this arrangement, the wheels 94 resiliently, yieldably opposelateral thrusts exerted thereon, tending to displace the vehiclelaterally.

Lower ball bearings 98 are also provided upon the axes 88, with eachwheel 94 being freely rotatable upon the vertically spaced bearings 92,98 of an associated axle 88.

Extending downwardly from the lower end of each extension 86 is avertical spindle or stub shaft 100, on which is mounted a bearing 102spaced upwardly from a bearing 104 carried by the shaft.

Mounted upon the several stub shafts, and freely rotatable upon thebearings 102, 104 thereof, are lower, outer stabilizing wheels 106.These rotate on vertical axes, which axes are spaced laterally outwardlyfrom the adjacent sides of the center rail a greater distance than arethe axes defined by the axles 88.

It is also to be noted that the lower or outer stabilizing wheels 106are spaced downwardly a substantial distance from the upper wheels, andare below the axes of rotation of the main wheels. Thus, stabilizingaction against lateral thrusts is provided both above and below the mainwheels, in a manner designed to obtain a particularly effectivestabilizing action during the use of the vehicle.

Mounted upon the wheels 106 are rubber tires 108, comprisingshock-absorbent means extending circumferentially of the lowerstabilizing wheels to resist lateral thrusts in a resiliently yieldingfashion. The rubber tires are in engagement with the inner sides of theside rails, and therefore it is seen that each upper stabilizing wheelcooperates with a transversely aligned lower stabilizing wheel disposedat the opposite side of the center rail, in resisting lateral thrusts inone direction.

The result is that the vehicle is stabilized against lateral or sidethrust at the location both of the center rail and the side rails. Thisstabilizing action, further, occurs at vertically spaced points, and thecountering of the side thrust at vertically spaced locations disposedabove and below the horizontal plane of the axes of the main wheels,taken in conjunction with the use of both of the center and the siderails as abutments taking the force of the side thrusts, serves toimpart to the vehicle a particularly efiective stabilizing action.

It will thus be seen that the invention includes a generally improvedtrack structure, designed to cooperate in a particularly effectivemanner with a complementarily constructed vehicle truck. In appearance,the vehicle resembles a monorail, as will be noted from FIGURE 1, sincethe sides of the vehicle body completely conceal the trucks.Nevertheless, the vehicle is in actuality a double-track piece ofequipment.

The stabilizing action, wherein there is a resiliently yielding meanscountering side thrusts, which means operates at vertically spacedpoints, as well as locations spaced longitudinally of each truck,provides another feature of considerable importance.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confinedto the specific use or uses thereof described above since it may beutilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the inventionto be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated anddescribed, since such construction is only intended to be illustrativeot the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehendsany change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway comprising a track structure and a vehicle, said trackstructure comprising a pair of laterally spaced side rails and a centerrail spaced between the side rails, said center rail having sides spacedabove the side rails, said side rails having inner surfaces and topsurfaces, said vehicle comprising a body having an underside, trucksvertically pivoted to and supportably underlying the body, said truckscomprising main horizontal axis wheels running upon the top surfaces ofthe side rails, upper guide vertical axis wheels running against thesides of the center rail, and lower vertical axis guide wheels runningagainst the inner sides of the side rails.

2. A railway comprising a track structure and a vehicle, said trackstructure comprising a pair of laterally spaced side rails and a centerrail spaced between the side rails, said center rail having sides spacedabove the side rails, said side rails having inner surfaces and topsurfaces, said vehicle comprising a body having an underside, trucksvertically pivoted to and supportably underlying the body, said trnckscomprising main horizontal axis wheels running upon the top surfaces ofthe side rails, upper guide vertical axis wheels running against thesides of the center rail, and lower vertical axis guide wheels runningagainst the inner sides of the side rails, said trucks having mainhorizontal top plates located above said wheels, means pivoting saidmain plates to the vehicle body, and spring means fixed to andpositioned between said main top plates and the underside of the vehiclebody.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS600,371 -May Mar. 8, 1898 628,174 Beecher July 4, 1899 750,247 Beecher Jan. 26, 1904 867,007 Boyes Sept. 24, 1907 1,541,281 Ricker June 9, 19251,801,141 Connors Apr. 14, 1931 2,756,689 Hinsken et al July 31, 1956FOREIGN PATENTS 1,147,820 France June 11, 1957 496,071 Italy June 30,1954

